Staff Reporter :
The leaders of Dhaka District Road Transport Workers Union (DDRTWU) have urged the government to launch drives in the transport sector with a view to rooting out irregularities and extortion from the transport sector.
They leaders made the allegations during a press conference at the Jatiya Press Club on Saturday.
The DDRWU leaders claimed that some owners and leaders in the sector extorted millions of taka from Fulbaria, Gulistan, Sayedabad, Mirpur and Mohakhali bus terminals using the name of Dhaka Road Transport Owners Association, forcing the honest bus owners to leave the sector.
Earlier on October 1, Bangladesh Sarak Paribahan Malik-Sramik Oikya League (BSPMSOL) leaders also urged the government to conduct drives in the transport sector to put an end to corruption and harassment by “godfathers and police”.
BSPMSOL Secretary Ismail Hossain Bachchu claimed that Tk 1.65 crore was extorted from Dhaka’s transport sector every day and that DRTOA leaders are involved in it.
However, the DRTOA leaders the next day (Thursday) rejected the allegations, claiming that there was no extortion in the transport sector. DDRTWU Joint Secretary Mahfuzul Hoque said, “Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina had inaugurated DDRTWU in 2003. We request the government to conduct drive in transport sector to stop extortion.”
He hoped that the government’s drive against corruption would successfully root out irregularities and extortion from the transport sector.
